1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to collision avoidance apparatus and systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus for collision avoidance which uses Global Positioning System (GPS) information and computer processing to determine the location of man made and natural occurring obstacles to allow a user to avoid a collision with these obstacles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
GPS navigation systems utilize signals generated by and received from Earth's orbiting satellites to calculate a spatial position of an object in longitude, latitude and elevation relative to the earth's surface. The advances in GPS technology in recent years have produced high precision navigation systems with very fine accuracies in position definition of an object, normally within a few centimeters of the object's actual location.
Presently, commercially available GPS navigation units or devices display position information relative to a digital memory map on a local crystal display. For example, rental car companies are providing this technology in automobiles. These companies rent to travelers who are unfamiliar with the local area and need to travel to a particular destination. However, these GPS navigation devices are limited to navigation only and do not provide warning or avoidance information and protection from collision with an object in the path of a user.
Accordingly, there is a need for a GPS based navigation device which has the capability of identifying objects in the path of a user and providing the user with sufficient advanced warning to avoid a collision with an object in the user's path.